THE GARDEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20086, 30 April 1927, Page 3

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOB THE WEEK. M*M by O. TANNOCK, F.R.H.H, THU GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. It will now b* necessary to get ail the •hiyeanthumuiru which are grown in pots or tins under cover of some kind and to lift those which were growing in the open border. Continue to put in viola cuttings, and as soon as they are completed a start oan be made to make and put in the hardwood kinds. Make a second sowing of ■chicanthus seed, pot on calceolarias, and rive the cinerarias a little >weak liquid manure once a week. THE FLOWER GARDEN, Now that we have had a touch of frost no time should be lost in getting up the standard fuchsias, geraniums, tuberous begonias, cannas and dahlias. The fuchsias can be lined in on the dry sido of u hedge, the stems can be cut off the dahlias leaving about a foot to which the label ean be tied, about half of the foliage should be cut off the tuberous begonias and they can both be placed in boxes and stood in a frame with the sashes on until they dry. The cannas oan be put close together in boxes of light soil and stood under the bench in the greenhouse. If the beds and border# were not manured in the spring they will require a libera) dressing of well-rotted farmyard manure which wiS be dug in. The primrose polyanthus which were lifted and divided in the spring and -lined out in a cool shady part of the nursery or the vegetable garden will make good beds on their own, or the; oan be used a a a carpeting plant for anemones, tulips or narcissi, or an edging for wallflower or anemone beds.

Though I have not space to describe the various boautiftrf autumn tinted shrubs I do not think I should let the season pass without a list. The following is a fairly complete list, roughly in their order of usefulness:—Ameloncbier canadensis, Berber!# Thunbergii, Berberis Wilsonae. Cornu* sanguinea, Enkianthus Japonicus, Euonymus europaeua, Oxydendron arboreum. Azalea mollis. Rhus cotinoides purpurea. Rhus -glabra. Rhus typhina, Ribes aurea, Spiraea Thunbergii Spiraea prunifolia, Vaocineum corymbosura, Cotoncaster horizontal!*, Cotoneaster Simonsii, WiegeHa rosea, Forsythia mispenaa, and tile dwarf Japanese maples. THE VEGETABT.E AND FRUIT GARDEN. Clear off all spent crops, trench, manureand dig all vacant ground, and prepare the ground for planting fruit trees and bushes. Also commence the pruning of bush fruits. TRENCHING AND DIGGING. The present is an excellent season for carrying out trenching and digging opera tiona. The soil is usually dry and easy to handle. This is a slack season, and the loosened up soil ie exposed to the disintegrating influences which prevail during tffie winter. The benefits of trenching are #o great that no bed or border in tho flower garden or plot, in the vegetable or fruit garden, oan be considered to be proeared properly unlosa it is trencher]. Trenching assists tho drainage and enables the surplus moisture which falls on the iurfaoe during wet weather to got away into the subsoil or into the drains in a reasonable time. When a garden m merely dug a hard pan is often formed immediately under the cultivated soil. This prevents water from getting away, with the result* that tho top soil remains saturated for considerable time after heavy rain, thus rendering it sour, cold, and unsuit able for the development of healthy roots. Trenched ground is_ also less liable to become dried tin during dry weather Cultivated soil holds water amongst its particles fin the form of n film round each particle) thus forming a reservoir, which will not drv up, provided the surface soil is kept _ stirred or mulched to prevent evaporation. Another advantage is that Bv deepening the Inver of cultivated -oil We extend the rooting medium available for the plants, and the collceting ground for tho roots, thereby enabling us to obtain heavier crops with less manuring. The depth to which wo can trench will depend on the nature of the soil Jf of «B alluvial nature, with no Well marked division between the mtrtoil sod the mbsoil, it is not too to C* to a depth of from 24ft to 3ft,

and to brine it to th« top. If the mb-aoil is porous shingle it will not bo uecowary to lav a 1 drain*, but should it bo a retentive clay agricultural pipes should -be laid at a distance of from 12ft to 18ft apart, Just below the cultivated soil, providing a fall to a suitable outlet. To trench soil with a clay subsoil without providing drainage is a mistake. When commencing to trench take out on opening about 2ft wido and from 2ft to 2£ft deep, and if the garden is now or very weedy scrape in the grass or weeds, placing them in the bottom. Throw over a full *pade in depth, and then shovel over tho crumbly part which is left in the bottom. If manure is to be applied it should be placed on the top of the crumbly part, and than throw over another full spit. If the soil it still reasonably good shovel up the crumbled part on top, again leaving it a# rough and open as possible. Next dig over or break up the bottom of the trench to a depth of six or nine inches, and on top of this throw any old garden refuse, compost, heap, weeds, or anything which will rot. It is safe to bury couch grass at this depth, and straw, hay, hedge clippings or anything which will increase the organic matter. Whefa the soil is not very deep or if it is not desirable to bring a lot of clay to too surface we may have to be contented with throwing over two spits, and one shovelling, and to loosen up the bottom of the trench as usual. , , , Where tho sod consists of olay and organic matter, such as we have on the hillside, we have to resort to what known as cross-grained trenching. This consists of throwing over one full spit and a shovelling of the crumbly part, and then turning over tho other spit and leaving it in the bottom. . It is desirable to bring up a little of the clay to mix with the surface soil, end, by continuing this from time to time, adding organic matter, the depth of good rooting soil is increased until in time it will be possible to carry out ordinary trenching. When dealing with light sandy or gravelly soils it is an advantage to bury in a layer cf clay or heavy loam about a foot below the surface, and when making up a suitable soil for either flowers or vegetables a foot of clay should be put in the bottom, then a layer of farmyard manure, and then six inches of good loam in which to plant or sow. Peaty soils are also improved by mixing in a quantity of friable clay or loam - from time to time, but it is not desirable .to brim- up the heavy sticky clay to the surface. , . . ... It is a great advantage to trench a new garden. It provides an opportunity for getting rid of rubbish, grass, weeds, etc., and renders all subsequent operations, such as digging and forking, quite easy to perform, and greatly minimises the laborious part of gardening. Ordinary digging consists of inverting the surface soil to the depth of a spade, at the same time burying in a layer of farmyard manure or compost neap. Though it is advisable to leave the surface rough when digging at this sewon, an effort should bo made to distribute the spadefuls so as to have it reasonably level. It is also desirable to keep throwing the soil up the hill should it be on a slope, for the natural tendency is for it to work downwards and to accumulate at the bottom of the hill, the top becoming shallow.

answers to CORRESPONDENTS. "N. M. 1..” Woolston. —I am afraid your William Hurst peas which are coming into flower just now will not develop. They are too lata for this season, unless we have an exceptional autumn, and too far advanced to stand through the winter. It is not yet too late to sow peas, and it they gemmate .ad grow for a few inches they will come away all right In the “ P ‘‘MaVnc/' Templeton.—Mildew is a fungoid pest which attacks the foliage as soon as it develops, and the mycelium is perennial in the young twigs. The remedy suggested is spraying with the summer tormula of Bordeaux mixture just as the young leaves are unfolding, and jf necessary, later on with afnmoniated carbonate of copper solution* During the winter pruning all the twigs which are affected should be collected and burnt. Scab » also a fungoid pest which commences us career on the .leaves and afterwards spreads to the fruit, which jt disfigures, preventing the skin from developing and often causing n to crack. When pruning collect and burn the twigs, also all leaves and fruits which have fallen, and alter pruning spray with Bordeaux mixture winter formula. It is also an advantage to spray with summer Bordeaux or lime, sulphur after the fruit is set, and it is desirable to combine the lime sulphur with arsenate of lead when spraying for codlin moth. If your fruit trees are making satisfactory growth do not give them nitrate of soda, but a little sheep manure forked into the surface soil will bo an advantage. Thin out the growtbsmn your apricot tree, but do not shorten back the young wood too much. , ~ “J B-.” Allanton. —The name of the native shrub is Nothopanax Siuclaini. "B. C. C..” Oamaru.—The leaves of your rowan tree appear to he eaten with a leech or a caterpillar. . Spray with arsenate >f ’ jad, should a similar trouble appear next season. “Ignoramus,' Otakou,- —It is probable that your peach tree becomes dry at the roots during the summer. I would advise you ,to thin out the growths considerably at pruning time, to give the roots a gpod mulch with stable manure, and to disbud freely when the young growths appear. “Amateur,” ,awrence.—The present is a good time to plant mulberry, hazel, and walnut trees. The . mulberry isi a very hardy tree which will stand all the frost you will get and fruit freely. Shelter is an advantage. , , , “Koromiko," Dunedin. -A dozen good native trees and shrubs which will thrive here are Rata. Veronica elhptica, Olearia macrodonta. Red Manuka, Gaya Dyallii, Hoheria populnea, Pohutukawa, Kowhai, Kaka Beak, Veronica speciosa, Oleana Chatamica, and Olearia insignia.